


Shadow of your Memory

by Sky_King



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Aftermath, Can be seen as romantic or deep friendship, F/M, Good friend Zelda, Implied Relationships, Link misses Midna, Longing, More like dimension-crossed lovers, Post game ending, Zelda gives him something to remember her by, gratefulness, star-crossed lovers, thankfulness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-09
Updated: 2019-09-09
Packaged: 2020-10-13 01:15:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,538
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20574059
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sky_King/pseuds/Sky_King
Summary: After defeating Ganondorf, and saving Hyrule and the realm of shadows, Link finds himself alone and missing the snarky shadow at his back.Zelda is no master at emotions, but she feels like if there's something she can do for him, she will do whatever in her power to accomplish it.She can't do anything to fix the longing in his heart, but she can help him remember her, across the realms, with something other than bitter regret.





	Shadow of your Memory

When Link opened the door of his small cottage one peaceful evening, he had been planning to take a small walk outside, make sure his herds were safe, and pinpoints which pastures needed a trim. He hadn’t exactly been expecting Princess Zelda in the flesh to be standing in all of her royal glory at his doorstep.

She was wearing a pink royal gown, along with her armored arms and chest, that were a match for the sword at her hip. This, alongside the golden circlet perched atop her forehead, was so at odds with the rural background of Ordon village, and Link’s own farmer’s clothes that her mere presence clashed. Despite being him who was under-dressed for the occasion, it was her who stuck out like a sore thumb. Her, and her entourage, hanging just a couple steps behind her.

He had been so puzzled and confused that for a long minute he just stared– forgetting to even bow or greet her highness. As he tried getting his brain to work again, he realized that Zelda was not saying anything either, looking rather smug despite– or maybe because of– his belated reaction.

Snapping himself out of it, Link began a clumsy curtsy, but the towering Princess (or was it Queen now? News traveled slow, this far out in the country) stopped him with a familiar hand on his shoulder.

“You need not bow to me, Hero of the Triforce.” She said, something kind and compassionate shining through the iron-cast mask that was her face. “Apologies are in order, I suppose. For coming here unannounced.”

Link wasn’t sure if it would be ruder to say she didn’t have to apologize or agree and implicitly state it was a bother, so he remained silent instead.

Fortunately, this wasn’t seen as an offense, as Zelda turned around and had a servant fetch a small pouch from her royal steed– from which she produced a small locket.

Somehow, holding that small trinket seemed to rob her of her confidence, looking hesitant, all of a sudden. She looked so young, face half-cast in shadows and her teeth gnawing on her bottom lip.

When she next glanced at Link, he could briefly see the woman behind the mask. The woman who was barely a couple years older than he was, that had been dealt a hand as awful as his own.

“I know,” she began, looking away from him. “I know that you have done so much for this kingdom. I know you have sacrificed so much, and our reward was more than lacking but…”

Link wanted to remind her that _he _had been the one to refuse the piles of gold (cumbersome for his trip back home) and nobility titles bestowed upon his person (what would he even need this for?), but he figured he might as well let her speak first.

“But I come bearing a gift that I hope will reduce this gap, if not completely satisfy our debt to you.” She declared as she let the small pendant fall, dangling from a golden chain wound over her hands.

It was a rather curious object, Link thought, as he watched it swing to and fro, in a hypnotizing fashion. It was a small locket, made of gold, just like the chain, with the Royal Emblem carved on its front. The carvings seemed oddly deep, with the way the shadows were cast upon it.

Shadows, that as the locket spun unto itself, did not move, or fade even as sunlight hit it.

“Well? Will you take it?” Zelda asked, drawing Link’s attention away from the pendant. She was smiling his way, amused rather than annoyed by his distraction. Almost as if knowing the ethereal quality of her offered gift.

Almost as if she understood the deep ache it awoke inside of Link, how it accentuated the shadows in his heart.

Link allowed the small pendant to fall in his hand. He stared at the obviously magic-imbued object, trying to ignore the knot in his throat, at the painful memories it brought back.

She was gone from his world after all.

“What do you want me to do with it?” He asked, because the only reason he could think of having being gifted a cursed object, was to first break whatever spell was on it.

But apparently, that hadn’t occurred to wise Hylia’s reincarnation. She just blinked, a vague surprise reaching her features.

“Well,” she began, her hands clasped together. “Maybe, first open it?”

He still had his doubts and many questions, but his hands were already obeying her before his brain had caught up.

And inside the egg-shaped locket sat a lock of hair.

Hair the color of rusted iron. Of molten copper.

Hair cast in light, the same way her body was cast in shadows.

Link stared at it, numb.

Suddenly the shadows clinging to it didn’t seem eerie or menacing at all. Suddenly it all made sense.

“I know,” Zelda began, voice soft. “I know it doesn’t substitute her presence. I know there is no way anything or anyone could, and I’m not trying to do that. But I found this lock of hair amidst the rubble of the castle. Its unique qualities made it easy to make a guess as to whom it belonged to, and I knew who might appreciate having something tangible to remember her by.”

Link still couldn’t find the words, as he felt the pressure building up inside his chest, behind his eyes. As he felt the memories come pouring in again, of biting words, of hesitant trust.

Of fear of the inevitable, as the world came crashing down.

Of trust, bigger than the entire world in her eyes as she entrusted both of their destinies to him.

And of that mischief, ever-present, as if this was just another one of her jokes. Another little prank, maybe at his expense but ultimately harmless.

That same mischief she had wielded, as she shed that single tear, and shattered any hope of reunion.

“I never got the chance to say thank you.” He mumbled at last, a wet laugh tearing from his throat. He sniffed, rubbed the back of his hands against his eyes and smiled at his princess, his queen. “I hope she knows; I appreciate everything she did for me. For us.”

“I’m sure she understands.” Zelda nodded, so reluctant, so unfamiliar with letting go of her mask. She did let her features soften. “It was evident, how much you meant to each other. I’m sure she understands.”

Link’s smile grew the smallest bit. “Thanks to you too, my queen. If it weren’t for you, we wouldn’t be standing here, alive.”

“I didn’t do nearly enough.” She shook her head, wisdom of ages past weighing down on her shoulders. Beating her down, like a relentless wind. “I did not do much in saving Hyrule, and you have my apologies for it.”

Link closed the pendant before putting it on. It felt warm against his chest.

“Why apologize?” He asked, a small confidential smile on his face. Zelda was confused. “You did enough. You stayed when you could have run. You stayed in a broken kingdom and protected its people. I don’t know of anyone else who would have stayed.”

“It is not bravery, if I didn’t have a choice.” Zelda contradicted him, averting her eyes.

“But you did have one.” Link explained, his soft words echoing to her spirit itself. “Running away is also a choice, even if it’s a bad decision.

“I can try, because the future is uncertain; but if you already know everything, how can you dare to hope?”

Zelda looked at him, a new shine to her eyes. She seemed to stand tall again, even managing another smile. “I wouldn’t have thought a farmer boy would have known about that.”

Link shrugged, a hand going up to clutch at his new locket. “She just never shut up.”

“I don’t know everything.” Zelda added, not knowing what to say in the lull. “My wisdom isn’t all encompassing, isn’t all-knowing.”

“I would hope not,” Link laughed. “You probably wouldn’t even speak to me if you knew what stupid things I’ve done!”

She blinked repeatedly. “There is no action foolish enough to warrant that.”

His smile dimmed, his laughter flying away like a spooked bird. “Thank you. For everything. For the pendant, and for healing her– back then, there was a moment where I thought I had lost the both of you. So thanks for coming back, I guess. Thanks for coming here, as well.”

Zelda smiled, and Link could almost glimpse the woman hiding behind that mask of wisdom. “It was my pleasure.”

The sun had finished setting, the cold crawling in like the darkness upon them, as they stood there. Zelda knew she needed to go back soon, let her entourage rest. But she would not leave her hero looking so downtrodden for things he was not guilty of.

“And Link?” She began. “You are not a fool, never have been. Never will.”

Link’s smile was self-mocking. “Am I not? When I can’t stop thinking of someone long gone?”

But Zelda was undeterred.

“Isn’t that just the purest form of love?”

**Author's Note:**

> It's been more than ten years but I am still so upset about Midna shattering the only way for them to see each other.
> 
> I love Zelda, but it hurts every time I remember my sassy Queen.  
Damn, I really should buy myself a wii... and a tv lol. I want to play this game again. I played it on the gamecube.  
Man, the memories.  
I'm not even sure how I beat it, with me being so easily scared lol.  
Don't forget to drop me a comment with your thoughts!


End file.
